Officers Thomas Finnelly and Charles Castor were shot and killed when they attempted to arrest a man who was wanted for murder in Veley, Greece.

The officers were informed by an informant that the suspect would be arriving in San Francisco on that day at the Ferry Building. When the officers attempted to arrest the suspect, the suspect shot them both. The suspect also shot and wounded the informant, who pointed him out to the police. The suspect was captured at the scene, tried, and hanged on March 14, 1913. A relative of the suspect killed the informant and was later arrested.

Officer Finnelly was survived by his wife and three children. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California.